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An Ethnographically Inspired Study of Farming Families and Food Practices in the Northern Highlands of Ecuador - Implications for Food Sovereignty

Overview

• Author: JC Rothmayer

• Affiliation: Wageningen University, Department of Social Sciences, Sociology of Development and Change Group

• Thesis submitted November 2016 for MSc Programme: International Development Studies.

Table of Contents

• Preface/Acknowledgements

• Executive Summary

• Acronyms

• Glossary of Kichwa and Spanish Terminology

• Introduction

• Methodology

• Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

• Literature Review / Presentation of Results

• Discussion and Conclusions

• References

• Appendices

Executive Summary

• Food Sovereignty: Institutionalized in Ecuador since 2008, defining the right to self-sufficiency in nutritious food while obligating the state to promote this initiative.

• Ongoing transformations in food production and consumption patterns, including rising nutrition-related diseases and government support for agricultural industrialization, challenge food sovereignty principles.

• Research Purpose: Understand daily food practices among farming families and reflect on food sovereignty's potential to influence policy and community engagement.

• Methodology: Three months of ethnographic research involving 24 families in Northern Highlands of Ecuador.

Key Findings

1. Heterogeneous Practices: Family farming practices reveal diverse approaches to food production and responses to modernization pressures.

2. Food Sovereignty Limitations: The current Ecuadorian definition of food sovereignty is viewed as too static, lacking adaptability to the diverse realities of food production.

3. Role of Social Movements: There's a noted decline in political power of social movements advocating for food sovereignty, complicating policy application.

4. Interplay of Modernization & Individualization: Family farmers experience a shift towards individualization, redefining their roles and practices in food production and consumption.

5. Agroecology as a Practice: Emergence of agroecological associations among farmers connects them to homegrown organic food and promotes a community of practice.

Research Objectives and Questions

• Understand daily food production and consumption practices.

• Investigate the processes guiding farming families' relationships with food.

• Evaluate the potential of food sovereignty to reposition farming families within broader socio-political contexts.

Methodology Highlights

• Research Philosophy: Employs feminist epistemology emphasizing situated knowledge and the researcher's social location in shaping understanding.

• Methods Used: Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, 24-hour dietary recalls, and engagement in local agricultural practices. Ethical considerations regarding confidentiality and informed consent were maintained.

• Field Research Locations: Focus on four rural parishes across the cantons of Cayambe and Pedro Moncayo.

Literature Review Insights

• Historical context of agriculture in the Northern Highlands, including colonial impacts and the evolution of farming practices over time.

• Examination of social trajectories influenced by globalization, modernization, and neoliberal policies.

Results Section Summary

1. Agro-Food History: Traces the development of agricultural practices post-Spanish conquest and highlights the role of cooperatives and agrarian reform.

2. Food Consumption Patterns: Shift from subsistence agriculture to market-oriented practices, influenced by external pressures and opportunities.

3. Social Dynamics: Underlines the impact of wage labor, particularly in the cut-flower industry, on family structures and community relations.

4. Culinary Practices: Illustrates traditional and modern culinary practices among farming families, showing evolving preferences and influences.

5. Crisis of Food Sovereignty: Despite policies aimed at food sovereignty, challenges persist related to agricultural industrialization and external market dependencies.

Discussion and Conclusion Insights

• Implications for Food Sovereignty: Need for adaptable definitions and practices that resonate with diverse family experiences in food production.

• Future Research Directions: Suggested explorations focusing on the youth's perspectives regarding agricultural futures and dynamics within agroecological associations.

This research emphasizes that understanding food sovereignty requires a reflexive approach, taking into account the complex interplay between local realities and broader socio-economic transformations.